After Eight Years, Carlos Gracida Has Own Identity

WELLINGTON -- The first time the Gracidas played polo together in the United States, Carlos Gracida was introduced as Memo`s little brother.

It was only natural. Memo Gracida, a 10-goal player from Mexico, was considered one of the world`s best polo players.

Eight years later, Carlos has made a name for himself.

``It was a blessing being Memo`s brother,`` Carlos said. ``He opened a lot of doors for me. When you are a professional on your way up you will find a lot of doors closed for you, whether it`s politics, competition or jealousy.

``With Memo it was very easy because he helped me. He was the best player, that helps a lot. Once the doors opened, I had to prove myself but it was easier for me than it was for Memo. He had to open his own doors. All I had to do was prove myself. I learned very quick from him about organization and horses and worked very hard. I just followed what he did.``

On a scale of minus-one to 10, Carlos, 28, is a 10 -- one of only six 10- goal rated players playing in the United States. Memo has been rated 10 goals since 1983.

In polo, the measure of a player is his handicap. Every year a U.S. Polo Association committee assigns each player a rating number. The younger Gracida is entering his fourth season rated 10 goals.

The other 10-goalers are: brothers Alfonso and Gonzalo Pieres; Christian Laprida; and Ernesto Trotz. All are from Argentina.

``Everything happened so quickly. After two years of playing professionally I was seven goals at 20. Suddenly you are the attraction because you`re young. When you`re young, you think you know everything, but you don`t. It takes time, five or six years of playing professionally.``

Memo Gracida said, ``I knew it was inevitable Carlos would be 10 goals someday. I always had the confidence because both of us have a great education of the game. We love the game.``

Guillermo Sr. and Maria Gracida taught their two sons well while they were growing up in Mexico City. They were taught to be horsemen first. The better the horseman, the better the polo player. Guillermo Sr. was once rated nine goals, five uncles were eight-goal players.

To be rated 10 is to achieve theoretical perfection. Carlos has won nearly every thing there is to win in the sport -- the English and U.S. opens five times each, the Argentine Open twice, the French Open and the Camacho Cup.

Last year he was named the Most Valuable Player in five high-goal tournaments in the United States and Argentina and won seven tournament titles. In the last two years, he has won back-to-back titles at the English Open, U.S. Open and Argentine Open.

``I had a good year polo-wise last year, but bad luck with horse injuries,`` Carlos said. He lost seven horses to injury.

This year he is venturing out on his own. He will captain Geoffrey Kent`s Rolex A&K team. It is the first season he is not playing alongside his brother.

``This year is going to be special for me,`` Carlos said. ``With Memo and me it was a matter of economics. I think it`s time for me to try to be the captain of my own team. They let me choose the team for January, February and March. I have more responsibility being the captain, but it`s no problem. This is a year that is very important for me. I know I can be a good captain and a good organizer. Memo has always had that on him. He always organized the teams, lineups and horses. Now it is my turn to make the decisions.``

However, Carlos said, that he will still go to his older brother for advice.

``He is still the best,`` Carlos said.

In the Wellington townhouse he shares with Carmen, his wife of seven years, he is surrounded by polo trophies, crystal and plaques. Unlike his brother who built his barn before his home, Carlos is building a house first.``It was very close to decide between the two,`` Carlos said.

Most amateur polo players let their grooms school their ponies. Not Carlos.

The confident, yet soft-spoken, player works his string of 20 polo ponies from early morning to late afternoon, preparing for the high-goal polo season in Palm Beach which begins today, at the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club with the Diet Coke International.

``That`s the biggest difference between me and other polo players, I make my own ponies,`` Carlos said. ``Ninety-nine percent of my horses are Mexican. My father starts them and I finish them. It is an advantage to have a sense of the horse and to be the best-mounted.

``I think when you get to this level the success can be attributed to organization,`` Gracida said. ``It`s having a good team, choosing the right team. You need to have the right horses first to try to be one of the best players. Once you have the horses, it`s trying to get a winning team. I`ve been trying to work on that. If you win people keep asking you to play on their teams.

``Reputation is very important for a polo player,`` Carlos said. ``First you want to be 10 goals and once you get to 10 goals you want to be the best.``

-- In today`s 3 p.m. featured game, Willow Rill, led by nine-goaler Juni Crotto, will play Broad Acres/Milwaukee led by seven-goaler Red Armour.